Nights Of Rain And Stars: A Novel, By Maeve Binchy, Unabridged 6 Audio Cassettes, Read By Terry Donnelly [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Maeve Binchy (Author), Terry Donnelly (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2003

"...together in unexpected ways when sudden tragedy strikes. Here is the story of old Andreas, the gentle tavern owner who has spent many years regretting the argument that drove his only son to America; Elsa, the beautiful German reporter who gave up her television career and the man she loves once she learned the secret he hid from her; and Fiona, the Irish nurse and dutiful daughter, who's gone off to travel with the man everyone says is wrong for her---even if everyone is right. In her inimitable style, Maeve Binchy shares with readers the lives of these strangers, learning their hopes, dreams, and fears as they move forward, forever changed by their experience." "ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Maeve Binchy is the author of Quentins, Scarlet Feather, Tara Road (an Oprah's Book Club Selection), Circle of Friends, Light a Penny Candle, and many other bestselling novels. She lives in Dalkey, Ireland, and London with her husband, writer Gordon Snell." "ABOUT THE READER: Terry Donnelly has appeared in several stage productions in New York including King Lear, A Galway Girl, and Shadow of a Gunman, as well as with the Irish Arts Theatre. Abroad she has performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, in The Glass Managerie and Ivanov. She also has several film and television credits. Booklist called Donnelly's narration of Binchy's Tara Road "a beautiful match to the story's location and strong characters." "Binchy is a natural yarn spinner, weaving tales of all lengths and textures into an entertaining whole."---The Washington Post" "Playing Time: 9 hrs 28 min. Copyright 2004 by Maeve Binchy. Copyright P 2004 by Penguin Audiobooks and BBC Audiobooks America. Recorded by arrangement with Dutton, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Complete & Unabridged Six Audiocassettes." [from case]

Product Details

• Audio Cassette: 6 pages
• Publisher: Sound Library; Unabridged 6 Audio Cassettes edition (2003)
• ASIN: B000K3T5Q2
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,989,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #22 in Books > Books on Cassette > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Binchy, Maeve

More About the Author

Maeve Binchy is the author of numerous best-selling books, including Nights of Rain and Stars, Quentins, Scarlet Feather, Circle of Friends, and Tara Road, which was an Oprah's Book Club selection. She has written for Gourmet; O, The Oprah Magazine; Modern Maturity; and Good Housekeeping, among other publications. She and her husband, Gordon Snell, live in Dalkey, Ireland, and London.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Wait for a used copy ..., September 24, 2004

By 

Angela Linton "Angie" (Manchester) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nights of Rain and Stars (Hardcover)

I seemed to remember that Maeve Binchy said she was giving up writing novels after 'Scarlet Feather' - so far two novels have appeared under her name but to be fair, both appear to have been written by a computer. I can imagine a lot of her fans will gush over NOR&S as it does keep MB's trademark feelgood factor but what it dispenses with is strong well-written characters you can identify with and an intricate and compelling plot. Please don't be hooked into buying this in hardback as I did just because of the Binchy name - this is her worst effort yet (if indeed she DID write it). The plot is completely unoriginal and predictable (in fact there's barely enough material for a short story) and the characters two-dimensional and impossible to identify with. For example it was easy to see why Ria in "Tara Road" fell for loveable rogue Danny, yet impossible to see why Fiona is attracted to her violent boyfried Sean who is simply a charmless oaf. The way the four main characters get together and the attachment they feel for each other I found simply unbelievable - the 'tragedy' which brings them together doesn't affect any of them directly and has only a minor role in the book. Sorry to sound hard-hearted but in reality they would probably have forgotten about it pretty quickly and gotten on with their lives. The only possibly interesting character has her life story told only in flashback (which actually would have made a better story line) while the book focuses on the boring lives and predictable romances of four dreary people who for the most part are totally responsible for their own problems. To make matters worse some of the Non-Irish characters have Irish speech patterns (did no-one edit the book?), at one point a Greek character describes someone as a 'pup'. I found this book deeply frustrating as it DID have the trademark Binchy warmth and I kept waiting for the plot to kick in only to be disappointed. All in all her weakest yet. Buy a used copy or better still borrow from the library ...

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I'm confused, September 23, 2004

By 

LibraryLady (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nights of Rain and Stars (Hardcover)

Maybe I read a different book from the other 5-star reviewers. I've been a die-hard Maeve Binchy fan for at least 15 years. I order her books from amazonUK so that I can get them the minute they're published instead of having to wait for them to be released in the U.S. I think her books set in the 50s and 60s are the best. She seems to be drawing much more on personal experiences in those, and they ring more true. Her newer ones, particularly Evening Class and Scarlet Feather, are also good. I thought her last one, Quentins, was kind of weak, but it was still Maeve. But this one? Didn't even sound like her to me. The characters were one-dimensional and seemed cobbled together from other characters she's written previously, and better. The plot, what there was of it, was unbelievably predictable. Where was the trademark Binchy humour? Where was the Irish poignancy? The characters in Nights of Rain and Stars were unlikeable. The only one I was remotely interested in was David. It pains me to write something negative about my favorite author. But I had to rererereread Light a Penny Candle to get rid of the bad taste of this book.

67 of 80 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Will The Real Maeve Binchy Please Stand Up?, October 5, 2004

By 

Antoinette Klein (Hoover, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Nights of Rain and Stars (Hardcover)

No, not the person who wrote this book. You couldn't possibly be my beloved Maeve Binchy. Maeve has always given us original Irish tales told with classic twists, memorable characters, and heart-stopping moments. Maeve always left us with something to reflect on and a deep yearning for her next release.

Maeve has obviously been the victim of identity theft and that person has written a contrived situation with paper-thin characters who are not very likeable and whose problems are strictly of their own making. Maeve's characters were always more deeply developed, were good people with a tragic flaw perhaps, but after much soul-searching and a lot of Irish pluck managed to land butter-side up and delight the reader. Not so with this book.

Not only are we given one-dimensional characters, but they are bonded by a situation so far-fetched that I am questioning myself for continuing with this drivel. Only because the cover claims Maeve Binchy wrote this do I proceed. It's entertaining enough for a beach read or an otherwise boring flight. There are moments when I think, "Oh, Maeve did write that part." And there is one character, Vonni, who has a striking resemblance to the unforgettable Signora from EVENING CLASS. But, for the most part, this highly predictable novel falls far short of what Maeve Binchy is capable of.

Four tourists representing the US, England, Ireland, and Germany being thrown together in the Greek isles and mixing with the locals seems a wonderful idea. But perhaps Maeve's greatest strength lies deep in the Dublin she has written about with such love and insight. I hope she takes us back there soon.

If you are new to Maeve Binchy's work, please don't judge her by this one. Read Circle of Friends, Light A Penny Candle, anything else she has written. I love all her other novels and short stories and consider this just a minor blip on the radar screen of a wonderful writing career.